No, that’s an understatement. I think landing robots on Mars is just flat out awesome. Let’s send more. Let’s send people. Let’s send people to Jupiter, Pluto and beyond.

I like sci-fi, sure. Quite a bit, actually, but I’m not a super-hardcore sci-fi geek. The thing is, this isn’t sci-fi, this is sci-fi becoming sci-real. Watch this video – after sitting through an annoying commercial – and try to tell me this isn’t the stuff of Star Wars movies: http://www.space.com/11368-curiosity-unusual-landing-mars.html

So what are we waiting for? Somebody needs to convene a global space summit, and every nation should agree to divert 10-per cent of their military spending to space exploration. That should be easy to agree on, right?

Mind you, just 10-per cent. The last thing we want to do is disarm. The aliens may already be among us. For your consideration, ladies and gentlemen: